Lack of access to transportation. Missed opportunities. Not knowing where to look – or even how to start.
These were just a few of the barriers to volunteer service that Indiana University’s newly founded IU Corps Student Advisory Council identified among the IU Bloomington student population in Spring 2021. The SAC’s job is to help address issues like these and find new ways to inspire student service.
The group is an extension of IU Corps, the university’s service network, and its 12 members range from freshmen to graduate students. Their unique personal experiences with service—from the Bloomington Community Orchard, serving as peer mentors, working with AmeriCorps to organizing mask drives—are already helping the IU community and Bloomington find new ways to work together.
The SAC meets monthly to advise IU Corps on better ways to integrate student volunteer opportunities and provide access to service for the communities that surround the university. Members also communicate outside of meeting times and present on their own research when they come together.
Meet the council below and find out how you can join their efforts!
Ellie Score
School: O' Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Major: Law and Public Policy
Year: undergrad, 2023
Favorite food in Bloom: Siam House
Looking to combine her passions of community engagement, writing, and research, Ellie joined the SAC this semester ready to share her belief that a good leader must first serve the community with compassion. Her impressive service resume includes working with the IU Civic Leaders Center and the Bloomington Community Orchard (where she oversees fundraising and community engagement on the Board), as well as various mentorships and coaching programs. Keep an eye out for Ellie this Indy 500 Festival Season, as she is also one of this year’s Indy 500 Princesses!
Maddie Hickle
School: Kelley School of Business
Major: Marketing, Digital and Social Media Business Applications
Year: undergrad, 2023
Favorite food in Bloom: Mother Bear’s Pizza – with friends!
Maddie’s work with the autism mentorship program at Binford Elementary School showed her the importance of adaptation, communication, and meaningful relationships. While she’s excited to continue helping her mentees when it’s safe to return in person, Maddie continues looking for ways to volunteer at IU. As a student mentor and working with the Finite Peer Coach Program, Maddie often found herself talking with peers about service and how others were getting involved in Bloomington. Maddie is ready to use the SAC as a way to help break down barriers to service that IUB students face both on and off campus.
Michelle Crowe
School: O' Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Major: Public Affairs, concentration in non-profits
Year: grad, 2023
Favorite spot in Bloom: McCormick’s Creek State Park
As the only graduate student and the director of communications for IU Libraries, Michelle’s non-traditional path graduate school provides great insight for the SAC. Michelle’s passion and involvement with community service began in high school in the 90’s when she organized a fundraising event following a natural disaster. She went on to serve in AmeriCorps and work with the 21st Century Scholars while an undergrad and continues to remain involved in her local community through her church, the IU Libraries Staff Council, and her children’s activities. She is a proud advocate for the New Hope Family Shelter. Most notably, Michelle brings her unique, community-based perspective to reach all kinds of IU community members.
Ryleigh Loper
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Biology
Year: undergrad, 2024
Favorite food in Bloom: Farmers’ Market or The Chocolate Moose
Ryleigh’s impressive experience with organizations including FFA, the Connersville Area Swim Team, and 4-H served as a direct bridge to community service. Before the pandemic, Ryleigh actively volunteered 100 hours a year through a variety of clubs and organizations. Her senior year initiative in high school, called T-Shirts for Tails, raised money for spaying, neutering, and sponsoring dogs and cats in Fayette County. The SAC will benefit from Ryleigh’s passion and energy as she works toward her goal of working with Veterinarians without Borders!
Ashley Morford
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Majors: International Studies (Bachelor of Arts), Russian
Year: undergrad, 2024
Favorite food in Bloom: Bapu – peach-mango smoothie or else!
Between serving as secretary on the Board of Directors at her local soup kitchen to serving on the Board of her community’s historical society and volunteering at Camp Rainbow, Ashley is well versed in finding ways to reach the community through service. She volunteers through HONORVOL, the Hutton Honors College program that facilitates volunteer opportunities, and supports the Teacher’s Warehouse in Bloomington. Her various experiences prepared her to assist in identifying and eliminating barriers to service student’s face.
Alex Tedrow
School: Jacobs School of Music
Major: Composition
Year: undergrad, 2021
Favorite food in Bloom: Lennie’s
With a strong belief in Asset-Based Community Development, Alex is ready to demonstrate that the arts are a powerful tool for substantial, sustainable change. His time at Jacobs and leadership roles in promotion of the arts have equipped Alex with skills and molded his undeniable passion for community involvement. Alex co-founded Composing for a Cause, serving as president and treasurer of the IU Student Composers Association, and serving as the engagement specialist for the Jacobs Community Engagement Initiative. Throughout all of his roles, Alex continues to work towards his vision of becoming a facilitator to create a space for the arts as a critical outreach tool with the ABCD method.
Ryan Geller
School: Kelley School of Business
Majors: Public Policy, Economic Consulting
Year: undergrad, 2024
Favorite food in Bloom: Butch’s
Ryan’s background with community service began back home in New Jersey, where he mentored and tutored underprivileged children in an urban community. Before coming to IU, Ryan formed a political organization club at his high school that focused on organizing voter registration drives and later criminal justice reform. As a MacDonald Scholar here at IU, Ryan is encouraged to create change in Bloomington through service with the Bloomington community. Ryan is ready to work with the SAC to combine his academic and extracurricular activities to continue remaining active in his community.
Aarohi Halbe
School: Kelley School of Business
Majors: Marketing, Business Analytics
Year: undergrad, 2023
Favorite food in Bloom: Siam House
Aarohi wasted no time getting involved at IU from the second she arrived on campus. Her resume includes working with the Alternative Break Program to restore sea turtle nesting habitats in Florida; building a house in Monroe County for Habitat for Humanity; and volunteering weekly to help autistic college students bridge gaps in their education and help enhance their social skills. She also serves as a general delegate for the Kelley Student Government on the committee for equity and inclusion, and currently is the director of Client Engagement for Net Impact. Aarohi trusts her strong passion and guiding moral principles to help her deliver reliable results, and her variety of experiences are sure to prove valuable to the SAC.
Paris Sang Bawi
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Neuroscience
Year: undergrad, 2024
Favorite food in Bloom: Do Restaurant
Paris has gained valuable skills through organizing, prioritizing, and executing key projects in her Burmese Community in Indiana. Before coming to IU, she tutored kids grades 6 to 12 at Whiteland Community High School and places a strong emphasis on education and the ways it helps people grow. As an IU 21st Century Scholar, she is excited to continue engaging with the Bloomington community. Paris strongly feels to strengthen IU’s service culture students need a sense of belonging to the community and brings this energy to the SAC.
Lane Shamp
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Neuroscience
Year: undergrad, 2023
Favorite food in Bloom: Crumble Café & Bakery
Lane is ready to explore new ideas and tackle new projects as a member of the SAC! Most of his college career thus far involved serving as volunteer chair for various organizations including Phi Delta Epsilon IN Alpha, Hoosier Experience, as well as Orientation Team and is in the Hutton Honors College. Lane also works closely with The Mask Project, an organization dedicated to assisting the Bloomington Mask Drive in production, processing, and distribution of masks during Covid-19.
Carli King
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Majors: Chemistry, Spanish
Year: 2021
Favorite spot in Bloom: Hoosier Heights
As one of two seniors on the council, Carli’s work is informed by her nearly four years of volunteering with the Banneker Center’s after-school programs. Throughout her time there, she created a new language and culture after-school club and has also spent time working with New Hope Family Shelter, the Boys and Girls Club, Becaon (previously the Shalom Center), the local animal shelter, Premier Hospice, and several nursing homes.
Derek Roberts
School: College of Arts and Sciences
Major: Criminal Justice
Year: 2022
Favorite food in Bloom: Z&C Teriyaki & Sushi
From working with Feed My Starving Children to achieving the rank of Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America, Derek has found immense purpose in helping others in his home of Naperville, IL. In summer 2020, Derek was one of 25 selected into the Indiana University Cadet Program. Whether it’s cleaning the graves of veterans or taking part in trash clean-ups in the forest preserves, Derek’s passion lies with preserving the outdoors for all. He hopes to further IU’s service culture by encouraging Hoosiers to take care of IU and Bloomington through campaigning to make the campus greener!
If you know of anyone with a project or opportunity that you think the SAC may be able to help with, please visit the Student Advisory Council website.